Palestinians in Gaza resume protests against Israeli blockade
Hundreds of Palestinians have demonstrated near the Israeli fence in the besieged Gaza Strip, calling on Israel to ease a crippling blockade days after a similar weekend gathering ended in deadly confrontations with the Israeli army.
The Israeli military, which had beefed up its forces in advance of the demonstration on Wednesday, said it was using tear gas and live fire to disperse the crowd in southern Gaza. Palestinian medics reported at least nine people were wounded.
The Al Aqsa TV television network, which is run by Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, showed crowds of people approaching the fence, then running away when an Israeli military vehicle arrived. Tear gas could be seen floating in the wind.
The military said it was using .22 calibre gunfire, a type of weapon that is meant to be less lethal than more powerful firearms but can be deadly.
Al Jazeera’s Youmna El Sayed, reporting from the protests in Gaza, said that dozens of tear gas canisters have been fired at protesters in the southern city of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
“Today, already three Palestinians have been injured by live ammunition and dozens have suffocated from the gas canisters that have been fired on them,” El Sayed said.
Hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated on Saturday, resulting in violent confrontations.
More than 40 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire during Saturday’s demonstrations, including a 13-year-old youth who was shot in the head, the health ministry said.
One of the wounded, Osama Dueji, 32, died of a bullet wound in the leg Wednesday.
Hamas identified him as a member of its armed wing and mourned him as a “heroic martyr”.
An Israeli soldier who was critically wounded when a Palestinian shot him in the head through a hole in the wall at point-blank range remained in hospital on Wednesday.
The Al Aqsa TV television network, which is run by Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, showed crowds of people approaching the fence, then running away when an Israeli military vehicle arrived. Tear gas could be seen floating in the wind.
The military said it was using .22 calibre gunfire, a type of weapon that is meant to be less lethal than more powerful firearms but can be deadly.
Al Jazeera’s Youmna El Sayed, reporting from the protests in Gaza, said that dozens of tear gas canisters have been fired at protesters in the southern city of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
“Today, already three Palestinians have been injured by live ammunition and dozens have suffocated from the gas canisters that have been fired on them,” El Sayed said.
Hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated on Saturday, resulting in violent confrontations.
More than 40 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire during Saturday’s demonstrations, including a 13-year-old youth who was shot in the head, the health ministry said.
One of the wounded, Osama Dueji, 32, died of a bullet wound in the leg Wednesday.
Hamas identified him as a member of its armed wing and mourned him as a “heroic martyr”.
An Israeli soldier who was critically wounded when a Palestinian shot him in the head through a hole in the wall at point-blank range remained in hospital on Wednesday.
